Overview
- Nick Kyrgios, currently down at No. 671 after injury layoffs, beat world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets at Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena.
- Both players had only one serve per point and Sabalenka’s side of the court was reduced by nine percent, adjustments intended to offset physical differences.
- The exhibition was organized by Envolve, the management firm that represents both players, and was streamed globally on sporteurope.tv for a fee.
- Billie Jean King told the BBC the event is “not the same” as her 1973 match with Bobby Riggs, and Rennae Stubbs questioned the financial motives behind staging it.
- Sabalenka said she would welcome a rematch and praised the occasion, while Kyrgios lauded her as a champion after a largely light‑hearted contest.